Newborns and chiropractors

[Jummynbean]

So I'm due to have my baby any day now, and I'm part of a Facebook group for moms due in July 2019. They are lik 90% American and One of them posted recently about taking their week old baby to a chiropractor. The only research I can find online is from chiropractor websites, all of which claim it is safe (of course they would). Does anyone have any experience with this or an opinion? Seems kinda dangerous to me as they are still forming.

I've heard of cranial osteopathy? Is this what they mean? My HV suggested I look into for my DS who born by c section and was a very colicky etc

I take mine as soon as possible after birth and regularly thereafter. I wouldn’t see one who wasn’t pediatric certified but the ones who are are amazing and always recommended by my pediatrician.

HV has recommended it to use for help with Colic and other issues. We didn't go in the end (couldn't find a decent one) but SIL takes her little one and said it's done him loads of good.

Medical pseudosciences are more common in America than here. Chiropractics and osteopathy are not science-based and not recommended by the NHS. Don't waste your money.

It’s all pseudo science. The idea of a paediatrician recommending something that is at best useless and at worst dangerous is deeply depressing.

Save your money OP.

And they can be “paediatric certified” if they have a computer and a printer.

The NHS absolutely do support osteopathy LittleKitty1985

I suppose it depends what you mean by “support”
Most research into techniques used in osteopathy tends to focus on general "manual therapy" techniques, such as spinal manipulation.

Manual therapy techniques are used by physiotherapists and chiropractors, as well as osteopaths.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on managing lower back pain and sciatica state that manual therapy can be considered as a treatment option alongside exercise.

NICE also recommends manual therapy as a possible treatment option for osteoarthritis, but osteopathy isn't specifically mentioned

*There's only limited or no scientific evidence to support osteopathy as an effective treatment for:

asthma
painful periods
excessive crying in babies (colic)
glue ear
problems affecting the jaw (temporomandibular disorder)
abnormal curvature of the spine (scoliosis)*
*Placebo effect

When we use a treatment and feel better, this can sometimes happen because of a phenomenon called the placebo effect and not because of the treatment itself.

This means that, although many people treated by osteopaths report good results, it's not always clear how effective the treatment actually is for certain conditions*

@Myfoolishboatisleaning

This is pasted from the nhs website:

Although osteopaths may use some conventional medical techniques, the use of osteopathy isn't always based on scientific evidence.

There's only limited or no scientific evidence to support osteopathy as an effective treatment.

When we use a treatment and feel better, this can sometimes happen because of a phenomenon called the placebo effectt_ and not because of the treatment itself. This means that, although many people treated by osteopaths report good results, it's not always clear how effective the treatment actually is for certain conditions.

But it is often covered by the NHS, therefore free at source. So that is a bit of a recommendation.

@Myfoolishboatisleaning The nhs is in the process of removing pseudosciences but it's politically difficult. Their website currently says:

While osteopathy isn't widely available on the NHS, your GP or local clinical commissioning group (CCG)G)_ should be able to tell you whether it's available in your area.* Most people pay for osteopathy treatment privately. Treatment costs vary, but typically range from £35 to £50 for a 30- to 40-minute session.

So it's very unlikely to be covered by the nhs now and certainly won't be in the future.

Yes, financially they will have to stop soon.

“But it is often covered by the NHS,“

Not often. And only for a limited range of conditions that are susceptible to physical manipulation and/or placebo such as lower back pain.

Many treatments are now sadly not covered by the NHS, they simply cannot afford it. They fact that they still do, albeit, “not often” says something.

“They fact that they still do, albeit, “not often” says something.”

Yes. It says that lower back pain is sometimes improved by physical manipulation and placebo.

The OP did not mention lower back pain in her newborn?

@BertrandRussell My chiropractor (also my close relative) went to school for nearly ten years to be pediatric certified. I’m not in the UK and I’m not denying it may be different there, but I’ve been around chiropractors and worked with/for them my entire life, I’m satisfied that their training is rigorous enough that it’s safe to have my babies adjusted.

@ChristmasArmadillo Your chiropractic relatives make your opinions biased. I'm sure they (and you) believe in it, however that does not make it true - we must look to science to establish objective truth and the evidence does not support its effectiveness.

& your relatives qualifications are irrelevant - you can do degrees in all sorts of nonsense, such as homeopathy!

& no one is arguing that it's not safe, we're saying that it's not effective (unless as a placebo and of course babies are not susceptible to the placebo effect) and therefore the OP should not waste her money.

Sorry, I meant your friends/colleagues, not relatives

Oh no, you did say relative haha.

Isn't it annoying that you can't edit posts?

@LittleKitty1985 I agree that it’s certainly not a must do, or anything like that. I would never recommend someone visit a chiropractor that they had any doubts whatsoever about. However a chiro would tell you that evidence does indicate that it’s effective. I suspect qualifications and practice may be different here as every doctor I know recommends it as the first thing to try for infant reflux, colic, etc - I actually wasn’t aware that so many people had a negative view of it, besides a few who think it isn’t safe, and I worked in a chiropractic office for many years. We had patients referred from their doctors every day.

It might be a placebo, I don’t have the degree to successfully prove otherwise, but it sure feels good! My babies love it - they fill their diapers and then go home for the longest nap I’m likely to get out of them that week.

Side note: thanks for being so polite in your disagreement! I enjoy discussing a difference of opinion with people who don’t add personal attacks to the conversation.